Disclaimer: Mika Bidiak serves as the co-Vice President of Volunteer Without Borders. All views expressed herein are her own.
After club budgets were cut, the fate of Volunteer Without Borders’ annual spring break trip seemed out of our hands. The leftover budget was not enough to pay for the housing at Coal River Mountain Watch, rental vans, food, gas and other necessary purchases for such a trip to succeed. Anxieties arose that the trip would not go on, but various fundraising efforts ended up saving the day!
Volunteer Without Borders is an entirely student-run organization that aims to provide alternative service trips during the winter, spring and summer breaks. The trips are meant to be non-destructive to the communities that the volunteers visit, as well as financially accessible for college students, keeping a low cost and offering scholarship opportunities. These trips focus on a variety of timely topics, including environmental justice, public health and disaster relief. They also count as 45 Action Scholars hours, as well as immersive experiences and hours for certain Community-Based Learning classes.
The annual trip to Naoma, West Virginia, specifically focuses on the ecological, social and economic impacts of mountaintop removal coal mining. Volunteer Without Borders Co-President Jen Arias (‘25) said, “VWB strongly feels that our work represents a commitment to social and environmental justice and encourages our volunteers to continuously and actively engage with the world around them.” Therefore, the possibility that such an important and impactful trip could potentially not go on was devastating.
Yet, without skipping a beat, we as the board began to brainstorm ways to raise money to make the trip possible. First, we celebrated VWBeers and Ballads, a fundraiser night at the pub open to everyone 21 and up. Then, we held a proceeds night at Romanelli’s Pizza & Italian Eatery in Madison, where a percentage of each purchase went towards the organization!
However, just a week before spring break, the trip had still not been confirmed. Co-President Elliot Franklyn (‘25) said, “By that point, we had already held applications, accepted our volunteers, had two group meetings, completed paperwork and health appointments, and yet we were still waiting on crucial documents that would have stopped the trip completely if we had not received them in time.”
With both high hopes and worries since spring break was coming up so soon, we created a GoFundMe campaign entitled “Help Keep VWB Available and Accessible!” We distributed QR codes around the school leading to the GoFundMe, and shared the flyer on Instagram and YikYak, hoping to widen our reach as much as possible. When we first created the GoFundMe, we never expected the incredible extent of generosity and graciousness shown to Volunteer Without Borders and the strength of the community of volunteers here at Drew. It received donations from friends, family, Drew alumni, faculty and former volunteers. Co-Vice President Cass Perez (‘27) said, “It was so inspiring to see the Drew community rally behind VWB—truly a testament to the impact VWB has on Drew and the amazing legacy it continues to leave!”
Within just two weeks, the GoFundMe raised $4,000! This was enough to pay the total price for the week to Coal River Mountain Watch, our community partner in West Virginia. “After everything had finally worked out, I felt insane relief that we were actually going to be able to go, and it absolutely would not have happened without the incredible support of our 55 donors,” said Franklyn, who led the West Virginia trip this year for the second time.
With such a quick turnaround, we had two pre-trip information sessions the two Sundays leading up to the trip. Volunteers learned about the origins of Coal River Mountain Watch and participated in our “Cookie Mining” tradition, where volunteers use toothpicks to attempt to remove chocolate chips from chocolate chip cookies to reveal the destructive nature of mountaintop removal coal mining.
We then packed our bags and got on the road. After an eight-and-a-half-hour drive, we were welcomed by Junior Walk into our housing accommodations at The Judy Bonds Center for Appalachian Preservation. Walk is Coal River Mountain Watch’s site monitor, outreach coordinator and CEP coordinator, and he has been working with Volunteer Without Borders for the past several years. His openness with the volunteers year after year is truly admirable and appreciated. The following day, Walk took us to the top of a mountain to view the effects of mountaintop removal first-hand. We then visited two memorials for the Upper Big Branch Mine Disaster from 2010, one made by friends and families of the 29 miners who were killed and the other made by the mining corporation and decorated with coal.
We ended the day with board games and a thoughtful reflection, discussing the differences between the two memorials, voicing our expectations for the week and expressing our gratitude that the trip actually came to fruition.
Throughout the rest of the week, we continued learning from those at Coal River Mountain Watch, immersing ourselves into the new environment. We participated in the Tadpole Cleanup Project, collecting trash alongside a river, and hiked New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, the newest national park. Volunteers reflected on the undeniable beauty of New River Gorge, and the potential for this beauty in the rest of West Virginia if mountaintop removal coal mining is stopped.
On the West Virginia trip specifically, students are able to learn directly from those impacted by the coal mining industry in a digestible and hands-on way, always coming out of the trip with new views regarding themselves and the communities they visit. Volunteer Without Borders allows the opportunity for students to go out of their comfort zone in a safe space, and to connect with others who share similar interests. Arias said it best: “Connection is really the core of Volunteer Without Borders in many ways.”
Students who go on the service trips always say, “Volunteer Without Borders changes lives,” and the organization’s board is incredibly grateful for all donors, people at Coal River Mountain Watch, chaperones and volunteers for making these trips possible and so impactful. While the future financial situation of Volunteer Without Borders is unknown, “VWB will always be looking out for our communities inside and outside of Drew, and how we can best play the role of a global citizen in times of uncertainty,” said Franklyn. These trips foster community, connections and appreciation for diverse environments, and Volunteer Without Borders hopes to continue making a positive impact on its volunteers and the world at large for years to come.
Mika Bidiak is a sophomore majoring in English Literature and Environmental Studies & Sustainability with a minor in Environmental Justice.
